The Missing Link
by rainbowfish22
Summary: ."You’re the one whose strength I’ve always admired, because you never ran away. You faced your problems, unlike me." Blackwater. Complete!
1. Part One

**(A/N: I like this story, but I have this paranoid feeling that you guys are going to hate it. Anyways, this was inspired by the Fray song "Enough for Now." And I might continue it. If you guys don't hate it. Enjoy it if you can!) **

The Missing Link 

"_The century before you, never could turn twenty-one _

_Years and years he waited, just watching for a son_

_Someone to go ahead, to take the name he said_

_Years and years he waited, and a daughter came instead"_-The Fray, Enough for Now

She looks exactly like her mother, except for her eyes. Her eyes are clearly her father's.

She doesn't notice Jacob watching at first, but after a few minutes, she asks in a cruel voice what he's looking at.

"Nothing," Jacob mumbles, watching his daughter walk away from him.

He's never met her before, but he knows that it's her.

He doesn't even know her name, but he knows that it's his daughter. The one he left Leah with fifteen years ago.

He still remembers that day, like it was yesterday instead of fifteen years ago.

He told Leah that he needed to leave for a while, to think things through.

Neither of them knew that "a while" really meant fifteen years.

He wonders how Leah's doing-if she still lives in the same place, if she still phases, if she misses him.

Jacob runs to catch up with his daughter. "Where's your mother?" he asks, trying to cover up his eagerness.

The girl eyes him coolly and asks why he wants to know.

Jacob tells her that they used to be friends, and that they haven't seen each other in a long time. It's not a total lie.

His daughter reluctantly takes him to Leah's house. Jacob looks through a small front window and sees Leah sitting in the tiny family room in the front of the house.

They walk in, and Leah doesn't register his presence for a minute.

When she does, she gawks at him, walks up to him, touches his shoulder to see if he's really there.

"Jacob Black." The words aren't accusing, and they aren't loving. They just hang there in between them.

"I'm back," he says, sounding guilty.

"Mom?" their daughter asks Leah. "Who is this?" Her eyebrow raises accusingly.

Leah turns back to her and sighs. "Scarlett," she says, the same emotionless tone still in her voice. "Meet your father."

**(A/N: Please let me know if you want me to continue this. I'm kind of afraid to, because I'm horrible with OCs, and I'm worried that if I develop Scarlett's character any more, she'll end up being a Mary-Sue. I couldn't think of a great title for this, but I chose "The Missing Link" because Jacob was missing for so long in Leah's life. Let me know if you see any typos, and reviews are love!) **


	2. Part Two

**(A/N: I'm continuing! I don't really have any idea how long this is going to be or what's going to happen, so if you have any suggestions, feel free to tell them to me. Or if you have a better idea for a summary. It was just pure luck that I was able to find another song that had to do with daughters. Hopefully you guys will like part two as much as part one.)**

Part Two

"_Oh, you see that skin?  
It's the same she's been standing in  
Since the day she saw him walking away  
Now she's left  
Cleaning up the mess he made."_-John Mayer, Daughters

Scarlett's mouth falls open on the word 'father.'

In the back of her head, she can hear Uncle Seth talking about someone named Jacob with her mother, but she never paid attention to it. She never guessed that this 'Jacob' person was her father.

"You're not my dad." The harsh words come out of her mouth before she can stop them. She glances at Leah, then runs to her room, preferring to hide from situations like this.

Jacob watches her run from him, a look of shock on his face.

"She ran away," Jacob says in disbelief.

"What, did you think she was going to jump into your arms and everything would be perfect?" Leah asks. "Jacob, you can't just show up here fifteen years later, expecting everything to be the same." Her voice is accusing now, but not loud. She doesn't want to worry Scarlett, the only piece of Jacob that she has left.

"Leah," Jacob strains to sound calm. "I told you that I needed some time. Time to think, time to break the imprint. I promised that I would come back when I could, and here I am. Back with you and our daughter." Jacob places a hand on Leah's stomach, a habit from when she was pregnant.

Leah forces his warm hand away. "You said 'a while,'" she insists. "Fifteen years is not a while."

Jacob shakes his head dejectedly. "I know. But I couldn't come back until I broke the imprint. Leah, you have no idea how hard that was. You have no idea how much I wanted to be here, with you."

"I don't need your cheesy story," Leah says. Jacob can't remember seeing her so bitter since Sam left. "You could have contacted us. I would have liked to know that you weren't dead."

"I'm here now." Jacob's voice is a whisper. "Isn't that enough?"

"No, Jacob. It isn't."

Leah has the final word.

They just stand there, refusing to meet each other's eyes.

Jacob wishes that he could kiss her and make everything better, and Leah wishes the same thing.

But they both know that kisses won't fix anything.

They just stand there in silence and wish.

"Do you think that…I should go talk to Scarlett?" Jacob asks sheepishly.

"If she wants to talk to you," Leah answers.

Jacob opens his mouth, then closes it again and heads in the direction that Scarlett ran.

He takes a deep breath, and knocks on the door.

**(A/N: I'm still feeling a little paranoid about this story, but I'm really enjoying writing it, so even if I only get flames for the rest of the story, I would probably continue writing it. I have a question, though. When I say "Uncle Seth" should "uncle" be capitalized? I had no idea. Let me know if you see any typos, and reviews are love!) **


	3. Part Three

**(A/N: A random observation: Second chapters get fewer reviews than first chapters. Hopefully that isn't true for third chapters. To all of my reviewers: yes, fifteen years **_**is**_** a long time. That's the whole point. That came out mean, didn't it? Sorry. Also, to everyone reading this story, please look at my profile and read my thoughts on this story. And vote in the poll so I know how long you want this to be. Enjoy!)**

Part Three

"_I wish you never told me_

_I wish I never knew_

_I wake up screaming_

_It's all because of you"-Three Days Grace, Scared_

"Scarlett? Can I talk to you?" Jacob's voice makes Scarlett shudder.

She just can't get used to the idea of actually having a father.

She never longs for a normal family, like some kids do. She has always been perfectly fine with having just her mom and Uncle Seth.

"No. You can't come in." Scarlett doesn't even consider letting him in the room.

She is studying herself in the mirror when Jacob knocks on the door. She has always wondered where her eyes came from. No one in her family has those eyes, the insightful, happy looking eyes that made people want to trust you.

Jacob has those eyes, also.

Her father knocks on the door again. "I just want to talk to you," Jacob insists.

Scarlett opens her mouth to say no, but closes it and walks to open the door to her room.

Jacob walks in and glances around his daughter's room. The walls are white and there is nothing on them. No posters of bands, no calendars, no pictures of friends.

He sits down on the bed, also white, and motions for Scarlett to sit next to him.

She reluctantly does, and Jacob resists the urge to pull her into his arms. It's a feeling he's never felt before, to be so emotionally close to someone. Not even imprinting can compare.

The strong feeling ends as Scarlett starts talking. "You think you can just barge into my life like this?" she yells. "How about giving us some warning first? How about letting me know that you existed?"

"I'm sorry." Jacob uses the same voice he did when he talked to Leah.

"Sorry doesn't cut it," Scarlett growls.

"I know." Jacob runs a hand through his long hair. "Look, I didn't come here expecting that you and Leah would be happy to see me and we would live happily ever after. I know your mother, and I knew this would be hard. But I'm here now." Jacob pauses and watches the still, emotionless face of his daughter. "I missed the first fourteen years of your life. Do we have to make the rest of them horrible? I'm not asking for a lot. You don't have to call me 'dad,' we don't have to act like father and daughter. I'm just asking if we can try to get along."

They sit in silence, Jacob watching Scarlett as she considers everything that he said.

"I'll think about it," she agrees quietly. "But I'm not making any promises."

"That's all I ask for," Jacob says, somehow managing a small smile.

**(A/N: This is the last thing I'm posting for a few days, because I'll be on vacation. I will have computer access; I just won't be able to post anything. Let me know if you see any typos, and reviews are love!) **


	4. Part Four

**(A/N: I don't really like this chapter as much, but I guess it's okay. You have to know this for this chapter to make sense: Scarlett knows about the werewolves and imprinting, but she doesn't know about the Cullens or Renesmee. Enjoy! And review!)**

Part Four

"_Trying not to lose your own, boxing up everything you've got _

_All you ever knew of home, you're scared, scared to see _

_Your mother there, in the door, you wonder where did the years go."-_The Fray, Where the Story Ends

Jacob sits on the bed, still smiling at Scarlett.

Scarlett's mouth turns into a scowl as she says, "I said I would try to accept you. Are you planning to leave now, or do you have another cheesy speech for me?"

Jacob laughs nervously. "You're just like your mother," he mumbles. "I'll leave now."

He walks to the door with a final glance at Scarlett, then steps into the hallway to see Leah standing in front of him.

"Listening in on our conversation, Leah?" he asks coolly. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that eavesdropping isn't very polite?"

"I was just waiting so I could speak to my daughter," Leah says.

"Our daughter," Jacob corrects under his breath.

"No, Jacob, my daughter. Maybe if you had stayed around to raise her, she could be your daughter also, but it's too late to change that now, isn't it?"

Jacob cringes with her words as she disappears into Scarlett's room.

"Hey, Scarlett," Leah says softly, in the voice she uses only around her daughter.

"Mother," Scarlett answers, cold and emotionless.

"Scarlett-" Leah starts to talk, but is interrupted.

"Why didn't you tell me about my father?" Scarlett sounds close to tears. "Why did he leave us in the first place? Why does he appear out of nowhere now?"

"Scarlett," Leah repeats in a quiet voice, trying to calm her down. "I didn't know that he was going to come back. I thought he was gone forever. He left because he had to. He left because he imprinted. He wanted to break the imprint so he could be with me…_us_, without having to worry about his imprint."

Scarlett looks at her mother in disbelief. "Yeah, I'm sure that was the reason. Imprinting makes nothing else matter but the imprint. What's so great about us that he would try to break the imprint?"

Leah sighs and shakes her head. "Your father's always been one to do crazy things."

"Who did he imprint on?"

"Renesmee."

"What kind of name is that?"

"A stupid one."

Scarlett and Leah share a small laugh, then Leah sighs again.

"Your eyes are exactly like Jacob's," she mumbles, more to herself than Scarlett. "I think that's what gave me hope all these years, looking into your eyes and know that he might come back."

"Mom?"

"Yeah?

"Stop being so cheesy. You're turning into Jacob."

"I know." Leah shudders in mock horror.

Leah and Scarlett laugh quietly as Leah glances out the small window. The sky is growing dark, and she can see a star or two in the sky. Even though she's still suspicious of him, she wonders where Jacob is going to sleep tonight.

**(A/N: I don't really like the end of this chapter, but it's better than my original ending, and it leads into the next chapter. Remember to vote in my poll if you haven't already, and review! And let me know if you see any typos. Or if you have a better summary for this story, because I really don't like the one I have right now. Any signed reviewers will get a preview of the next chapter.)**


	5. Part Five

**(A/N: This might be the last update for a little while. I'm going on a class trip on Monday and I won't be back until Friday, so if all of a sudden you're not getting any updates or new stories from me, don't worry. I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Enjoy!) **

Part Five

"_Something is scratching _

_Its way out_

_Something you want _

_To forget about_

_No one expects_

_You to get up_

_All on your own with_

_No one around"_-The Fray, Little House

Jacob glances at the dark sky and pretends that he doesn't notice when Scarlett and Leah join him in the room.

"Jacob," Leah says, not looking at him, but at the window. "If you need somewhere to stay, you can sleep on the couch for tonight." She tries to hide the annoyance in her voice. She doesn't want him in her house anymore than she wants Renesmee Cullen to be her best friend, but some tiny part of her reminds her that she used to love Jacob, and they haven't seen each other in fifteen years, and who is Leah to send him away?

"Thanks, Leah," Jacob says. "But I'll be fine. I can go into the woods and sleep there or something." He wants to stay, but he knows that Leah and Scarlett want him out. He starts to get up, but Leah blocks his way to the door.

"No, Jacob," Leah says, frustrated. "You can stay here. It's no problem at all, really." Her voice is that fake happy, the voice she always uses in situations where she has to pretend that everything's fine, but she wants to scream in anger.

"Leah," Jacob sighs in the soft voice that always used to calm her down, no matter how upset she was. "I know you don't really want me here. I don't want to bother you guys anymore than I already have." He tries to go around Leah, but fails.

"Jacob." All the fake happiness is gone now, just frustration is left. "You. Are. Staying. Here. Case closed."

"Sheesh," Jacob mutters. "If it means that much to you, I'll stay."

They both turn to look at Scarlett, but she is gone.

Scarlett is in her room, pretending that her parents aren't fighting like this, wishing that her life would just go back to normal, hoping that she won't have to put up with this every day.

Soon, there is only silence in the house. Scarlett is asleep, dreaming of her life before Jacob came.

Leah lies awake in her room, thinking about Jacob. Thinking about all the times he'd told her that he loved her, and all the times he kissed her.

She thinks about the time he asked her to marry him, a week before he left La Push.

She said no. she wanted to marry him, wanted it more than anything. She wasn't ready to risk getting hurt again. She didn't want Jacob to marry her just because she was pregnant.

Now, fifteen years later, she wishes that she had said yes. Maybe if she hadn't refused, he would have stayed. Maybe their daughter would have lived a life with a normal family. Maybe Leah wouldn't be lying awake now, trying to shake the memory from her head.

She wonders if he still has the ring he offered to her. She wonders if he has it here, with him. She wonders if it's locked away somewhere, if Jacob didn't want to see it anymore after she said no.

Silently, she creeps to the room where Jacob is asleep, his snores as loud as she remembered.

She watches him sleep, not daring to move closer to him.

After making sure he's really there and not an illusion, she walks back to her room and falls asleep to the snores of the boy she used to love.

**(A/N: I'm considering changing the name of this to just "Link," because half of the time that's what I refer to it as anyways. What do you guys think about that? And signed reviewers will get a preview of the next chapter. So review. And also let me know if you see any typos.) **


	6. Part Six

**(A/N: ****The part of this chapter in between the stars is a flashback, which is why it's in past tense, unlike the rest of the story in present tense. This chapter took me a really long time to write, so enjoy!) **

Part Six

"_After all this time_

_I never thought we'd be here_

_Never thought we'd be here_

_When my love for you was blind_

_But I couldn't make you see it_

_Couldn't make you see it_

_That I loved you more than you'll ever know_

_A part of me died when I let you go"_-Lifehouse, Blind

When morning comes, Jacob wakes up and listens to see if Scarlett and Leah are up yet. The house is silent.

Jacob reaches into the pocket of his jeans and his hand closes around the ring that he offered Leah fifteen years ago. He is amazed that he still has it, even though he promised himself that he wouldn't lose it.

When he opens his hand to look at the ring, he is flooded by memories of the day he asked Leah to marry him. If he concentrates hard enough, he can remember their exact conversation.

*

Jacob had taken Leah to the cliffs, their spot on the cliffs.

He didn't make a big speech or get down on one knee or any of that romantic stuff. He just stuttered out the words "Leah, will you marry me?"

Leah closed her eyes when he said this. He couldn't tell what she was feeling; if she was happy that he'd asked, or if she wished that he hadn't.

Finally, after a long time, she said two words: "I can't."

Those words stung. He didn't ask for explanations, just nodded and said "I understand."

That night was the first night that he started to consider running away.

Leah probably knew that something was up, but if she did, she didn't say anything.

One night, Jacob told Leah that he thought he was going to have to leave for a while. He said it was so he could think things through, and break the imprint, and that was one hundred percent true. But it was also to get over being rejected by Leah.

The next morning, he was gone.

*

Jacob watches his memories like a movie in his head. Even with the super-fast healing that all werewolves have, the pain left by Leah's rejection never fully healed.

Jacob is pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of Leah waking up. He quickly stuffs the ring back into his pocket as Leah enters the room.

"Good morning, Jacob," she says in her fake cheery voice.

"Morning," Jacob answers, his voice scratchy.

"Would you like some breakfast?" Leah asks, still fake happy. "We have plenty of cereal in the kitchen."

"Sure," Jacob mumbles.

Scarlett walks into the kitchen while Jacob messily eats a bowl of Lucky Charms, and Leah is pouring milk into a bowl of Cinnamon Life.

"Morning, Mom," she says. When she sees Jacob, she quickly adds, "Hey Jacob. I'm going over to Uncle Seth's." She says this to Leah.

"I'd like to see Seth again," Jacob says to himself.

"I'll invite him over later," Leah says absentmindedly as she sits down at the opposite end of the table from Jacob.

As Scarlett slams the door shut, Leah stirs her cereal and says, "I guess we're alone now."

"Guess so."

They both stare at their cereal like it's going to tell the future.

"Look, Leah-"

"Don't say anything. I'd like to eat in peace, thank you very much."

They don't say anything until they are both done eating.

"Have I already said that I'm sorry?" They say this at the exact same time, then stare at each other in disbelief.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" Jacob asks.

"For…for not marrying you. For making you run away. For yelling at you when you finally come back."

"Oh, Leah," Jacob whispers. He wants to kiss her and forgive her, but he knows that it isn't a good idea, so he just stands there with his arms awkwardly by his sides. "I'm sorry for leaving, and for being so hurt by you saying no. And I'm sorry for imprinting in the first place."

Leah shakes her head slowly. "I sound like a criminal compared to your reasons for saying sorry."

Jacob remains silent. Never in his life has there been a time when he has wanted to kiss Leah more than now. He shifts his weight nervously from foot to foot, trying to think of something to say.

"Would you…would you get mad if I kissed you?"

"No," Leah whispers. She closes her eyes as Jacob's face comes closer to hers and their lips meet.

Suddenly, it's like all their problems are gone and the only thing that matters is them.

"I love you, Leah Clearwater," Jacob whispers into her ear, so quietly and quickly it's almost like it didn't happen.

They are everywhere. On top of each other, pressed against the wall, on the couch that is much too small for them.

"I love you, Jacob Black," Leah whispers. The door of the house chooses this time to fly open, just in time for Scarlett to hear her mother's words.

Scarlett can't figure out what to think. Maybe she should be happy that her mother and father are together, so she can have a normal family. Maybe she should be mad that her mother is taking Jacob back, because her life will never go back to the way it was.

"W-what are you doing?" Scarlett stutters. She doesn't wait for an answer, just retreats to her room, the only safe place in her life anymore.

**(A/N: Reviews still means previews for signed reviewers, so review. And let me know if you see any typos.)**


	7. Part Seven

**(A/N: I haven't forgotten about this story, I promise! I've just been too lazy to update. Enjoy!)**

Part Seven

"_Looking for the right one you line up the world to find_

_Where no questions cross your mind_

_But she won't keep on waiting for you without a doubt_

_Much longer for you to sort it out"_-The Fray, All at Once

Scarlett can't believe this. Wasn't it just last night that her parents were acting like they hated each other?

Scarlett closes her eyes and tries not to replay what she just saw. Instead, a memory plays in her head.

*

Scarlett was five years old when she first thought about her father.

"Mommy?" she asked Leah one day after she had gotten home from school. "Why don't I have a daddy like all my friends at school?"

Scarlett watched her mom think for a long time before she answered, "Well, Scarlett, do any of your friends have an Uncle Seth?"

Scarlett shook her head.

"So you have an Uncle Seth instead of a daddy. And you have a mommy who loves you very much."

The five-year old Scarlett and Leah hugged. Scarlett had forgotten about her dad by that point.

*

Scarlett opens her eyes again. She takes a suitcase from her closet and begins packing her things. She needs to get away.

While Scarlett is packing, Jacob and Leah start to argue again.

"I'm going to talk to her," Leah says softly.

"No," Jacob disagrees. "I'm going to talk to her. She's my daughter too, after all."

"Jacob, didn't I already tell you that she's not your daughter? You didn't help raise her, and you've known her for less than twenty-four hours. I'm going to talk to her." Leah starts to storm off, but stops when she hears Jacob's voice again.

"Technically," Jacob says. "She's my daughter, whether I helped raise her or not. Her genes are fifty percent mine." He pushes past Leah, his skin tingling slightly as they touch.

Jacob knocks on Scarlett's door and says "Scarlett?"

"Go away," Scarlett's voice comes from inside the room.

"C'mon, Scarlett."

"I said go away."

"And I heard you. Scarlett, what you saw just then was not something to get angry about. Besides," Jacob adds with a little laugh, "How do you think you got here?"

Scarlett shudders in disgust. "Are you trying to have a _sex talk_ with me?"

Jacob shrugs even though Scarlett can't see it. "I'm your father. That's my job, isn't it?"

"Go away."

"Scarlett…" Jacob warns her.

"Shut up and go away."

"That's not a good way to talk to your father."

"Some father. You couldn't even stick around to watch me grow up."

"Okay," Jacob says in defeat. "I'll leave you alone now. But I am your father whether you like it or not."

"Not," Scarlett says as she listens to Jacob's footsteps walk away from her door. She continues packing, trying to figure out what she'll need wherever she's going.

Leah walks up to Scarlett's room as Jacob shuffles away.

"Scarlett Gabrielle Clearwater," she orders. "You open this door right now or face the consequences. You may be allowed to talk back to Jacob, but not to me."

Scarlett drags her feet as she opens the door slowly. As soon as she sees her mother's face, she knows that she can't do it. She can't run away. It would be impossible to leave her home.

"You're not going to…take _him_ back, are you?" Scarlett asks cruelly.

"I don't know," Leah says wistfully. "Not yet. It's too soon to just let him back into my life."

"Then what were you doing while I was at Seth's?" Scarlett snaps. "Wouldn't that be considered letting him back into your life?"

Leah sighs. "I don't know. I just don't know. Seeing him back here…it's hard to believe that I survived so many years without him."

"Mom," Scarlett says harshly.

"Yes, Scarlett?" Leah asks, playing with a lock of her daughter's long hair, but stopping as soon as Scarlett pushes her hand away.

"You really need to stop being so cheesy."

"Sorry," Leah murmurs. "I can't help it. That's just the way your father makes me."

"Stop referring to _him_ as my father."

"What happened to the Scarlett who always asked where her father was?"

"That was once. When I was five. I never _wanted_ a father."

"Scarlett. As your mother, I am commanding you to give _Jacob_ a chance. Not as your father, just as someone you won't hate."

"Yeah. Sure, Mom," Scarlett says sarcastically.

"_Scarlett_…" Leah warns her.

Scarlett rolls her eyes as Leah walks away from her room. As she begins to remove the things she packed from her suitcase, she wonders what would happen if she did run away.

**(A/N: I didn't like the original ending I wrote for this chapter, but I'm not sure if I like this one either. I guess it's better than my original one. And if someone thinks that Leah and/or Scarlett was out of character while they were talking, just remember that they have a very close relationship and they might act different around each other. Signed reviewers get a preview of the next chapter!) **


	8. Part Eight

**(A/N: I mention this in the chapter, but in case anyone was wondering, Leah and Jacob are both still phasing and still look the same ages they looked in Breaking Dawn. Enjoy!)**

Part Eight

"_You're the song playing on the background  
All alone but you're turning up now  
And everyone is rising to meet you, to greet you  
Turn around and you're walking toward me  
I'm breaking down and you're breathing slowly  
Say the word and I will be your man, your man"_-The Fray, Say When

Leah walks into the family room, where Jacob is waiting for her.

"You don't want me in your life?" he asks.

"You heard what I said?" Leah snaps.

Jacob nods. "Every word. Look, Leah, I can leave if you don't want me here. I can go back to how I was living before I came back here."

"How was that?" Leah asks, genuinely curious.

Jacob shudders. "It was horrible. Just wandering in the woods, hunting when I was hungry, sleeping when I was tired. I almost forgot what it was like to be human." He runs a hand through his long, dirty hair. He can't remember the last time that he had gotten a haircut. "I don't want to live like that," he admits quietly.

"You don't have to," Leah says.

"If you don't want me here…" Jacob murmurs.

"I never said that," Leah insists. "I said it was too soon. I said that I wasn't sure if I was completely ready to let you back into my life yet."

"So when will you be ready?" Jacob demands. "Ten years from now? Twenty? Leah, I want to know what I should be doing with my life, not waiting for you to make a decision."

"Just…give me some time, okay?" Leah asks. "I wasn't expecting that you would come back. I need time to decide. Not ten years, but time."

Jacob nods, then after a long silence, asks, "Leah?"

"Yes, Jacob?"

"Is…Is Scarlett a werewolf?"

Leah shakes her head. "No. There's no vampires around here anymore. And girls can't phase anyways."

"But you did."

"Scarlett is not going to be a werewolf. She is not going to have to go through the same thing that I went through…that I'm still going through. I can't stop phasing, like Sam and some of the other wolves have. I just can't."

"I never heard you phase in those fifteen years…" Jacob mumbles.

"That's because I taught myself how to just…not think," Leah explains.

Jacob remembers how Leah always wished that she didn't have to think, especially when she was in wolf form. He wonders if his leaving was what finally enabled her to grant her own wish. Then, looking into her eyes, Jacob realizes something.

"Oh, Leah, I've missed you," he mumbles. Then, even though he knows he shouldn't, especially while Scarlett is around, he kisses her. He promises to himself to memorize the way she tastes, the way their mouths mold together, everything, so if Leah doesn't choose him, he'll still have the memory of her.

Leah leans her head back as Jacob's mouth moves to her neck. "I love you, Jacob," she whispers.

"I thought that you weren't sure," Jacob mocks, bringing their faces closer together. "I thought you needed time."

"I thought so, too," Leah says. Then she jumps. "Sh-shoot!" she exclaims, still in the habit of not swearing from when Scarlett was younger. "Scarlett! I can't do this, not right now."

Jacob steps back from Leah, nodding sadly. "I understand," he says softly.

"I-I'm sorry, Jacob," Leah says, even though she knows that she shouldn't be sorry at all. "I-I need to go to the bathroom," she says, excusing herself and leaving Jacob alone.

Jacob slowly removes the ring from his pocket, mad at himself for missing his chance.

This time, when he stares at the ring, he remembers when he first bought it for Leah.

*

Leah had called him to say that she had news. She sounded very nervous, so Jacob had raced over to her house. That was when Leah told him that she was pregnant. She told him about how she had gone to see Carlisle, and he confirmed that she was pregnant. She told him that they didn't know how it was possible, but she was. Jacob had kissed her and assured her that their child would be the best child that ever lived, and that he would be the best father ever. (At the time, he didn't know how wrong he was.)

The next day, he went to buy a ring so he could ask Leah to marry him. He would have wanted to marry her even if she wasn't pregnant. Leah being pregnant just gave him another reason to marry her.

After he bought the ring, it was stashed in his drawer for a few months. He was waiting for just the right time to ask Leah.

He didn't know that the right time would be when Leah would turn him down.

*

Jacob closes his hand around the ring and holds it so tightly that he can feel it pressing against his hand.

He missed his chance, and he doesn't know when or even if he'll get another one.

**(A/N: If anyone was hoping to see more of Scarlett in this chapter, sorry, I decided to have a blackwatery chapter. Signed reviewers get a preview of the next chapter! Review!)**


	9. Part Nine

**(A/N: Yay! 100 reviews! You guys rule. Enjoy!)**

Part Nine

"_There now, steady love _

_So few come and don't go _

_Will you won't you _

_Be the one I always know _

_When I'm losing control _

_The city spins around _

_You're the only one _

_Who knows you slow it down"_-The Fray, Look after You

Over the next few weeks, Jacob, Leah, and Scarlett's lives settle into an almost steady rhythm.

Jacob is still mad at himself for missing his chance, Scarlett still wants Jacob out of her life, and Leah still doesn't know what to think.

Three weeks and four days after Jacob missed his chance, he gets another one. Scarlett is sleeping over at a friend's house, leaving Jacob and Leah alone.

Once Scarlett kisses Leah goodbye and glares at Jacob when Leah isn't looking, they are alone.

After several minutes of awkward silence, Jacob says "So…I guess we're alone now."

"I guess so," Leah replies, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"Er…Leah?"

"Yes, Jacob?"

"I was wondering if…" he pauses for a moment, then begins again. "I was wondering if we could go to that spot on the cliffs that we always used to go to."

"Okay," Leah agrees.

When they arrive, the silence starts again. It isn't as awkward this time, it's peaceful.

Jacob finally finds the courage to remove the ring from the pocket where it has been hidden for three weeks and four days.

While Leah stares at the waves, he puts the ring back in his pocket.

A few minutes later, he removes it from his pocket again.

_At this rate,_ he thinks, _I'm never going to do this._

"Leah," he finally forces out, unfortunately not sounding as romantic as he had planned to sound.

"Jacob," Leah says coolly.

_I'm going to do it right this time, _he thinks.

Jacob feels cheesy as he gets down on one knee in front of Leah, but he knows that none of it will matter if Leah says yes.

"Leah Clearwater," Jacob says. "I'm not saying this because of our daughter. I'm saying this because I really, truly love you." He looks straight into Leah's dark eyes. "Leah, will you marry me?" He holds out the ring he's had for so long.

Leah doesn't know what to say. She looks into Jacob's eyes, eyes that look exactly like Scarlett's when she was younger and wanted a new toy.

"I-I," Leah stammers. "Of course I will."

Jacob isn't sure what to do now. He never planned ahead past asking Leah. He slides the ring onto Leah's hand and stands up, still looking into her eyes.

"I've had that ring for more than fifteen years," he whispers. "It's nice to finally see it where it should have been all along."

"Jacob," Leah says. "I…I…"

"Don't say anything," Jacob tells her softly. Then he presses his mouth to hers in a kiss as soft as his voice.

After a few minutes of kissing, Leah pulls away and asks "Are you sure about this?"

"Of course I am," Jacob answers. "Why wouldn't I be sure?"

"Renesmee." The name cuts through Jacob like a knife.

"She doesn't matter to me anymore. She hasn't mattered to me for a long time."

"But…"

"There are no 'buts,' Leah. I'm yours. Not Renesmee's, not Bella's, _yours_."

"Jacob, getting married means _planning a wedding_."

"We'll do something small," Jacob says. "Your mom, my dad, Seth, the rest of the pack, Scarlett…"

When he says the name of his daughter, it hits him. "Leah, do you want to be the one to tell Scarlett about this?" he asks.

"I'm sure that she won't take it _that_ bad," Leah says, not sure if she's trying to convince Jacob or herself. "She'll just need some time to get used to it."

"Yeah," Jacob repeats monotonously. "Some time. Leah, I really don't feel like talking about Scarlett right now." He glances at the dark sky. "Why don't we go back to your house? I mean, why don't we go home?"

Leah can't help but smile as they walk back to the house.

When they return to Leah's house, Jacob sits down on the couch and Leah lies down with her head in his lap.

Jacob absentmindedly plays with Leah's hair and they stay up until they are so tired that they fall asleep on the couch that is too small for them, Jacob's arms wrapped around Leah and Leah's head nestled into Jacob's neck.

Neither of them remembers that tomorrow, they will have to tell Scarlett the news.

**(A/N: I know, I know, no Scarlett again. Sorry. Signed reviewers get a preview of the next chapter!)**


	10. Part Ten

**(A/N: I know. I suck. Sorry for not updating for so long. But at least I'm updating now! Enjoy!)**

Part Ten

"_I've seen this one before, the girl she gets away _

_Everybody knows it but no one tries to stop it _

'_Cause she barely even knows him but if she could see inside _

_Everything is quiet as she waits to tell him who she is."_-The Fray, Absolute

"You're _what?_" Scarlett screams as soon as Jacob and Leah tell her that they're getting married.

Of course.

Of course Scarlett isn't happy with any of this, because if she was, they'd be the perfect family and they wouldn't have to deal with any of this.

Scarlett starts to get off the couch and walk in the direction of her room, but her mother stops her.

"No," Leah says. "I've let you run away from your problems too many times now. Scarlett, you may as well learn now that running away doesn't always work. Sometimes you have to face the problem."

"Well," Scarlett glares at her father while she speaks. "Where do you think I got this running away thing from? Maybe it was from my father, who couldn't, or maybe _wouldn't_ stick around to see me grow up? And now," she turns her glares to Leah, "You're just letting him back into our lives? I thought my mom was smarter than that."

Those words hit Leah hard and she allows her daughter to walk past her.

"I'm so stupid!" Leah scolds herself after they hear a slam from the direction of Scarlett's room. "Stupid, stupid, stupid. Scarlett's right, Jacob. How do I know that you won't just leave again? Why should I trust you?"

Jacob uses the best way he can think of to calm Leah down: being cheesy. "This is how," he murmurs, holding the hand that Leah wears the ring on. "Leah, this is my promise to you that I am not leaving."

"Cheesy Jacob, shut up," Leah snaps. "I want to hear the real Jacob. One who's not trying to calm me down or trying to get me to turn into a pile of mush at your feet."

"Look, Leah," Jacob sighs. "You're the one I chose to be my beta. You're the one I broke the imprint for. You're the one whose strength I've always admired, because you never ran away. You faced your problems, unlike me. You're the one I came back for. I didn't come back hoping to see Bella or Renesmee. I came back to see _you_ again. How long does this list have to go on for? All of this is me just trying to say I love you, Leah Clearwater. Okay. Do you believe me now? I'm not leaving you."

Leah remains silent. She just stands there like a statue, staring at Jacob's face.

"Leah?" Jacob says softly. "This is the part where you say 'yes, I believe you Jacob, and I'll love you forever.'" His attempt to make a joke fails. "Are you okay, Leah? Leah? What do I have to do to get you to answer me? Just say _something_, Leah. Even if it's completely irrelevant."

"There's something wrong," Leah mutters. She rushes to Scarlett's room, and bangs on the door. When no answer comes, she opens the door.

No one is in the room. The only sign that Scarlett was ever in here is an open window, and a note.

Leah has to read the note out loud before she can process it.

"Mom," the note reads. "I guess I can't face my problems. Jacob must know how _that_ feels. I'll come back when I can. Scarlett."

As soon as Leah puts the note back down, Jacob walks into the room. "Leah, is everything all right?"

"Scarlett ran away," Leah mumbles. "And it's all my fault."

**(A/N: Cliffhanger! If you guys haven't seen it yet, I started a blog. You can find the link on my profile. As always, signed reviewers get a preview of the next chapter. Reviews are love!)**


	11. Part Eleven

**(A/N: I'm updating because I'm extremely impatient and I felt like updating. Just the epilogue left after this chapter. Enjoy!)**

Part Eleven

"_Tell my mother,_

_Tell my father_

_I've done the best I can_

_To make them realize_

_This is my life_

_I hope they understand_

_I'm not angry, I'm just saying_

_Sometimes goodbye_

_Is a second chance"_-Shinedown, Second Chance

While Leah frets over where to look for Scarlett first, Jacob closes his eyes and thinks, _If_ _I were Scarlett, where would I run away to?_

Unfortunately, no answer comes to him. The question lingers in the back of his mind while he promises Leah that Scarlett will be okay and starts helping Leah think of places to search for their daughter.

"Well, it's possible that she could be at a friend's house," Leah mutters nervously.

Jacob just nods and agrees with everything Leah says. It's easier if he doesn't upset her more.

While Leah calls all of Scarlett's friends, asking if they've seen her, Jacob continues to try to put himself in Scarlett's shoes. It shouldn't be this hard-she's his daughter. But his mind remains blank, except for his original question.

"No luck," Leah says as she hangs up the phone. "No one's seen her."

"Leah," Jacob asks. "If you were Scarlett, where would you run away to?"

"I don't know," Leah answers impatiently. "_I'm_ not the one who runs away from everything little thing my life that I don't like." She starts to pace, mumbling her thoughts. "Well, Scarlett's sensible. She's not going to go into the woods or some part of Forks that she doesn't know. She'd go some place she feels safe."

"Like…maybe…Seth's?" Jacob asks.

"Actually," Leah realizes, "That's a reasonable place for her to be. I'll go check there."

"I'm coming with you," Jacob insists.

"Fine," Leah agrees reluctantly.

The walk to Seth's is quick, especially since Leah and Jacob are sprinting half of the way there.

"Hey, Leah," Seth answers the door. "Jacob! It's been so long!"

"Not now, Seth." Leah glares at her brother, who looks exactly the same age as the last time Jacob saw him. "Is my daughter here?" She asks.

"Yeah," Seth says. "Wait, I wasn't supposed to tell you that…"

"Where is she?" Jacob asks.

"I may as well tell you," Seth sighs. "Guest bedroom. First hallway on the left, second door on the right."

"Thanks," Jacob says. Then he turns to Leah. "Leah, I need to talk to Scarlett."

"Go ahead," Leah tells him in a voice that Jacob knows means she doesn't care now that she knows that her daughter's safe.

Jacob walks to the room Scarlett's in, doesn't bother to knock because he knows she'll tell him that he can't come in, and sits down next to Scarlett.

That connection, the one stronger than imprinting, between him and his daughter is there again, and this time, he doesn't fight it.

Jacob quietly pulls Scarlett into a hug and whispers, "I guess the eyes weren't the only thing you got from me. You know, Scarlett, Leah's right about needing to face your problems. I mean, if I had stayed in La Push instead of running away while you were growing up, we wouldn't be having this conversation. We would be a happy family." He pauses, waiting for Scarlett to push him away or say something mean to him.

Scarlett just remains silent, the same silence Leah had when she knew something was wrong. Jacob thinks he can feel Scarlett move closer to him.

"I'm sorry that I expected you and Leah to trust me," Jacob continues. "Of course you both have every right not to trust me after I just…left for so long. I was just so happy when Leah accepted me again that I forgot about how you might react. But you know what? I am not sorry that I came back."

"Well," Scarlett mumbles, "Someone had to be the voice of reason in this family. And since you and my mom are so obsessed with each other…I just thought I'd show you guys that you needed to be more careful. If you're here to stay, then you're here to stay, but you need to give us time to trust you again. Right now we have no reason to believe that you won't just run away again."

"You're absolutely right," Jacob agrees. "And if Leah doesn't want to marry me anymore, that's okay. I have to earn you guys' trust."

Leah appears in the doorway, a thin smile on her lips. "I was listening to your conversation," she admits, sitting down next to them. "And…Jacob, I think I'm going to have to reconsider this." She removes the ring and tries to hand it back to Jacob. "I'm sorry," she mumbles. "I just can't make a decision like…like this Bella decision."

"Keep the ring," Jacob insists. "I told you that it was my promise to you that I wasn't going to run away again. And I'm staying right here. With you and Scarlett."

"This probably doesn't even need to be said, but Jacob, would you like to move in with us?" Leah asks. "I may not trust you enough to marry you yet, but I don't see anything wrong with you moving in…"

"I'd love to," Jacob agrees. "Unless Scarlett has an objection." He looks at his daughter.

Scarlett feels the warmth of her father's arms around her, and answers honestly, "My house is your house." She realizes that the 'voice of reason' should have some objection: it's too early to let him move in with us, having him move in is almost like Leah getting married to him. But right now, the idea of having an almost perfect family is sounding better and better. Besides, even the voice of reason can slip up, can't it?

"Excellent," Leah says. She is smiling more than Jacob has ever seen her smile, and he likes seeing her like this.

Jacob squeezes Scarlett closer to him, then says, "We should probably get going. I don't want to be invading Seth's house or anything."

"Yeah," Scarlett agrees. "Let's go, Mom, Dad." She stands up and starts to walk towards the door.

"What did you just call me?" Jacob asks, surprised.

Scarlett turns back to Jacob and smiles a smile that matches Leah's. "I called you 'Dad,'" she answers.

"I like the sound of that," Jacob mumbles as he follows Leah and Scarlett out of the room, and then out of the house.

As they walk back to their home, no one would be able to tell what their family had gone through.

**(A/N: I just realized that Jacob and Leah probably look way too young to be Scarlett's parents. I wonder what all of Scarlett's friends' moms think of Leah…hmm…Also, I think it's definitely time to wrap this story up. Sorry to those of you who voted for more than twenty chapters on the poll, but you're getting twelve chapters. Signed reviews get a preview of the epilogue. Reviews are love!)**


	12. Epilogue

**(A/N: Epilogue! Thanks so much for all the reviews, and supporting me with this story!)**

Epilogue: Three and a Half Years Later

"_Not that you're the one_

_Not to say I'm right_

_Not to say today_

_And not to say a thing tonight_

_But suffice it to say_

_We're leaving things unsaid_

_We sing ourselves to sleep_

_Watching the day lie down instead"_-The Fray, Unsaid

Right before Jacob and Leah are about to go to sleep, Leah says, "Jacob?"

"Yeah, Leah?" Jacob answers. He has no idea what Leah could be asking him about.

"I trust you now." Leah's voice is a whisper. Her eyes don't hold any hint of dishonesty, just love and trust for Jacob.

Jacob thinks of the past two times he asked Leah the question she wants him to ask her now. "Are you sure?" he questions. "Completely and totally sure?"

"Yes," Leah answers. "I'm sure."

"In that case," Jacob says, a smile forming at his lips. "Give me the ring."

Leah hands Jacob the ring with the complicated history, and he stands in front of Leah.

"Leah Clearwater." He gets down on one knee. "If you don't say yes, I'll still love you, but if you do, I'll love you even more. Will you marry me?"

"Yes," Leah whispers. Not "I can't," not "Of course I will," just one word. "Yes."

Jacob knows that this time Leah trusts him and he trusts Leah.

Somehow, Jacob knows that this time, it will be different.

**(A/N: I think this is the first chaptered story I've written that I actually like. I can't believe I originally planned for this to be a one shot. Thanks so much for reading this. It's been fun writing it. I'm gonna miss it. But now I'll have more time to work on ****Night****. Even though there's no preview, you guys should review anyways, because I love you.)**


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